Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system control leveraging future weather

ABSTRACT

A method for monitoring and controlling an environment of an indoor space within a building includes obtaining a future weather data for an area where the building is located, the building including a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system configured to control the environment within the indoor space; receiving at least one of a current temperature and a current humidity within the indoor space; receiving at least one of a temperature range and a humidity range for the indoor space; determining an operation schedule for the HVAC system based on at least the future weather data and the at least one of the temperature range and the humidity range; and controlling operation of the HVAC system in accordance with the operation schedule.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.63/338,188 filed May 4, 2022, which is incorporated herein by referencein its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The embodiments herein generally relate to a heating, ventilation, andair conditioning (HVAC) system, and more specifically, to method andapparatus for increasing the effectiveness of the HVAC system usingweather data.

Conventional HVAC systems are not well equipped to handle changes inexternal weather conditions and only react after the change hasoccurred. More efficient solutions are greatly desired.

BRIEF SUMMARY

According to one embodiment, a method for monitoring and controlling anenvironment of an indoor space within a building includes obtaining afuture weather data for an area where the building is located, thebuilding including a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC)system configured to control the environment within the indoor space;receiving at least one of a current temperature and a current humiditywithin the indoor space; receiving at least one of a temperature rangeand a humidity range for the indoor space; determining an operationschedule for the HVAC system based on at least the future weather dataand the at least one of the temperature range and the humidity range;and controlling operation of the HVAC system in accordance with theoperation schedule.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as analternative, further embodiments may include wherein the obtaining thefuture weather data for the area where the building is located furtherincludes querying an online weather database to obtain the futureweather data.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as analternative, further embodiments may include wherein the receiving theat least one of the temperature range and the humidity range for theindoor space further includes receiving a manual input on a computingdevice from an individual using a computer application to enter the atleast one of the temperature range and the humidity range for the indoorspace.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as analternative, further embodiments may include wherein the controllingoperation of the HVAC system in accordance with the operation schedulefurther includes adjusting a blower of the HVAC system in accordancewith the operation schedule.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as analternative, further embodiments may include wherein the controllingoperation of the HVAC system in accordance with the operation schedulefurther includes adjusting an external outlet vent fan or an externalinlet vent fan of the HVAC system in accordance with the operationschedule.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as analternative, further embodiments may include wherein the controllingoperation of the HVAC system in accordance with the operation schedulefurther includes at least one of turning on and off the HVAC system andcontrolling a flow of refrigerant in the HVAC system in accordance withthe operation schedule.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as analternative, further embodiments may include receiving current indoorair quality within the indoor space; receiving a desired indoor airquality for the indoor space; determining the operation schedule for theHVAC system based on at least the future weather data and the desiredindoor air quality; and controlling operation of the HVAC system inaccordance with the operation schedule.

According to another embodiment, an environmental monitoring and controlsystem for monitoring and controlling an environment of an internalspace, the environmental monitoring and control system includes aprocessor; and a memory comprising computer-executable instructionsthat, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to performoperations, the operations including obtaining a future weather data foran area where a building is located, the building including a heating,ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system configured to controlthe environment within an indoor space within the building; receiving atleast one of a current temperature and a current humidity within theindoor space; receiving at least one of a temperature range and ahumidity range for the indoor space; determining an operation schedulefor the HVAC system based on at least the future weather data and the atleast one of the temperature range and the humidity range; andcontrolling operation of the HVAC system in accordance with theoperation schedule.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as analternative, further embodiments may include wherein the obtaining thefuture weather data for the area where the building is located furtherincludes querying an online weather database to obtain the futureweather data.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as analternative, further embodiments may include wherein the receiving theat least one of the temperature range and the humidity range for theindoor space further includes receiving a manual input on a computingdevice from an individual using a computer application to enter the atleast one of the temperature range and the humidity range for the indoorspace.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as analternative, further embodiments may include wherein the controllingoperation of the HVAC system in accordance with the operation schedulefurther includes adjusting a blower of the HVAC system in accordancewith the operation schedule.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as analternative, further embodiments may include wherein the controllingoperation of the HVAC system in accordance with the operation schedulefurther includes adjusting an external outlet vent fan or an externalinlet vent fan of the HVAC system in accordance with the operationschedule.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as analternative, further embodiments may include wherein the controllingoperation of the HVAC system in accordance with the operation schedulefurther includes at least one of turning on and off the HVAC system andcontrolling a flow of refrigerant in the HVAC system in accordance withthe operation schedule.

According to another embodiment, a computer program product tangiblyembodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computerprogram product including instructions that, when executed by aprocessor, cause the processor to perform operations including obtaininga future weather data for an area where a building is located, thebuilding including a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC)system configured to control an environment within an indoor spacewithin the building; receiving at least one of a current temperature anda current humidity within the indoor space; receiving at least one of atemperature range and a humidity range for the indoor space; determiningan operation schedule for the HVAC system based on at least the futureweather data and the at least one of the temperature range or thehumidity range; and controlling operation of the HVAC system inaccordance with the operation schedule.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as analternative, further embodiments may include wherein the obtaining thefuture weather data for the area where the building is located furtherincludes querying an online weather database to obtain the futureweather data.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as analternative, further embodiments may include wherein the receiving theat least one of the temperature range and the humidity range for theindoor space further includes receiving a manual input on a computingdevice from an individual using a computer application to enter the atleast one of the temperature range or the humidity range for the indoorspace.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as analternative, further embodiments may include wherein the controllingoperation of the HVAC system in accordance with the operation schedulefurther includes adjusting a blower of the HVAC system in accordancewith the operation schedule.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as analternative, further embodiments may include wherein the controllingoperation of the HVAC system in accordance with the operation schedulefurther includes adjusting an external outlet vent fan or an externalinlet vent fan of the HVAC system in accordance with the operationschedule.

In addition to one or more of the features described above, or as analternative, further embodiments may include wherein the controllingoperation of the HVAC system in accordance with the operation schedulefurther includes at least one of turning on and off the HVAC system andcontrolling a flow of refrigerant in the HVAC system in accordance withthe operation schedule.

Technical effects of embodiments of the present disclosure includeadjusting the performance of an HVAC system based on future weatherdata.

The foregoing features and elements may be combined in variouscombinations without exclusivity, unless expressly indicated otherwise.These features and elements as well as the operation thereof will becomemore apparent in light of the following description and the accompanyingdrawings. It should be understood, however, that the followingdescription and drawings are intended to be illustrative and explanatoryin nature and non-limiting.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

The following descriptions should not be considered limiting in any way.With reference to the accompanying drawings, like elements are numberedalike:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary heating, ventilation, andair-conditioning (HVAC) system, according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an exemplary environmental monitoring andcontrol system, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;and

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary method for monitoringand controlling an environment of an internal space within a building,according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the disclosedapparatus and method are presented herein by way of exemplification andnot limitation with reference to the Figures.

Traditional controls of a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning(HVAC) system decides on/off action of components (e.g., furnace, airconditioner, heat pump, etc.) and fan speed based on current sensorreadings of indoor temperature and humidity versus their set points.With increased weather prediction capability available through internetconnectivity, the HVAC system usage may be better planned for increasedefficiency.

The efficiency of the HVAC system may be improved by factoring in futureweather predictions in control and at the same time improve indoor airquality due to venting. Embodiments disclosed herein focus on leveragingfuture weather predictions.

In order to leverage future weather prediction, the controller of theHVAC system employed herein may have control over all available HVACrelated actuators in the HVAC system including HVAC ventilator, ifinstalled. If the ventilator cannot be commanded by the HVAC controller,the ventilator's control logic may need to be considered for the HVACcontroller design to appropriately chart out future control action plan.

The homeowner may set an acceptable indoor temperature range and ahumidity target. Heat could be pumped in or out at the most efficient(cost-effective if utility rate trajectory is available) heat exchangeopportunities, determined by the set point range trajectory, the utilityrate trajectory, and the trajectory of difference between outdoortemperature and estimated indoor temperature. Whenever this temperaturedifference is sufficiently favorable (negative for cooling, positive forheating), the ventilator may be used for heating or cooling at a verylow cost, if one is installed. This would further help improveefficiency. Traditional Model Predictive Control (MPC) architecture maybe appropriate for this task and could be improved with ReinforcementLearning (RL).

Referring now to FIG. 1 , a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning(HVAC) system 20 is illustrated in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure. It should be appreciated that the HVAC system mayinclude any system capable of the controlling building temperature,humidity, and/or other indoor air quality (IAQ). The HVAC system 20 maybe viewed as a multi-zone HVAC system including at least four zones,which may be referred to as a first zone 210, a second zone 220, a thirdzone 230, and a fourth zone 240. It will be appreciated that any numberof zones are contemplated herein. A temperature changing component 22for changing the condition of air, e.g., an indoor unit 29(furnace/heater coil) and/or an outdoor unit 27 (air conditioning/heatpump), is associated with an indoor air handler 24. The air handler 24takes air from return ducts 26 and drives the air into a plenum 31, anda plurality of supply ducts 28, 30, 32, 33 associated with distinctzones 210, 220, 230, 240 in a building. The air handler 24 includes ablower 25 (which may be fixed speed or variable speed). As shown, adamper 34 is provided on each of the supply ducts 28, 30, 32, 33.

A controller 330, such as a microprocessor control controls the dampers34, the temperature changing component 22 (e.g., the outdoor unit 27 andthe indoor unit 29), the indoor air handler 24, and also communicateswith a thermostat 130 associated with each of the zones 210, 220, 230,240. It should be appreciated that, in certain instances, thesethermostats 130 may replace the typical temperature/humidity inputs andsetpoints provided by multiple smart sensors (e.g., one or moretemperature sensor and/or humidity sensor) that may be positioned withineach zone.

The controller 330 may be an electronic controller, as discussed furtherherein, including a processor and an associated memory comprisingcomputer-executable instructions (i.e., computer program product) that,when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform variousoperations. The processor may be, but is not limited to, asingle-processor or multi-processor system of any of a wide array ofpossible architectures, including field programmable gate array (FPGA),central processing unit (CPU), application specific integrated circuits(ASIC), digital signal processor (DSP) or graphics processing unit (GPU)hardware arranged homogenously or heterogeneously. The memory may be butis not limited to a random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM),or other electronic, optical, magnetic or any other computer readablemedium.

The thermostat 130 allows a user to set desired temperature, comfortlevels, etc. for each of the zones 210, 220, 230, 240 relative to theothers. Moreover, the thermostat 130 may include a temperature sensorand/or a humidity sensor for providing an actual temperature and anactual humidity back to the controller 330. The thermostat 130 may be anelectronic controller including a processor and an associated memorycomprising computer-executable instructions (i.e., computer programproduct) that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor toperform various operations. The processor may be, but is not limited to,a single-processor or multi-processor system of any of a wide array ofpossible architectures, including field programmable gate array (FPGA),central processing unit (CPU), application specific integrated circuits(ASIC), digital signal processor (DSP) or graphics processing unit (GPU)hardware arranged homogenously or heterogeneously. The memory may be butis not limited to a random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM),or other electronic, optical, magnetic or any other computer readablemedium.

As disclosed, the controller 330 is able to receive configuringinformation with regard to each of these system components so thatcontroller 330 understands individual characteristics of the elements ofthe HVAC system 20, which may include, but are not limited to, thetemperature changing component 22 (e.g., the outdoor unit 27 and theindoor unit 29), the indoor air handler 24, the variable speed blower25, supply ducts 28, 30, 32, 33, damper 34, and thermostat 130. Detailsof this feature may be as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,243,004 B2, filedon Jan. 7, 2004, and entitled “Self-Configuring Controls for Heating,Ventilating and Air Conditioning Systems.” The disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference.

In the prior art, the amount of air driven by the air handler 24 to eachof the zones 210, 220, 230, 240 sometimes become excessive. Dampers 34may be opened or closed to restrict or allow additional airflow into thezones 210, 220, 230, 240. While there are dampers 34 that are driven toeither be full open or full closed, the embodiments disclosed herein mayinclude a damper 34 having not only full open and full closed positions,but also several incrementally closed positions. In one example, thereare 16 incremental positions for the damper 34 between full open andfull closed. As any one of the dampers 34 is closed to reduceconditioning in that zone, additional airflow is driven to the more openof the dampers 34. This may sometimes result in too much air beingdelivered to one of the zones 210, 220, 230, 240, which can causeexcessive temperature change, and undue noise. In the prior art,pressure responsive bypass valves may be associated with the ducting 28,30, 32, 33 or upstream in plenum 31. The bypass of the air hasundesirable characteristics, as it requires additional valves, ducting,etc., and thus complicates assembly. Typically, the bypass air isreturned to the temperature changing component 22 through return duct26. Thus, the air approaching temperature changing component 22 hasalready been changed away from ambient, and may be too cold or too hotfor efficient operation.

It is understood that while the figures and associated descriptiondescribe four zones 210, 220, 230, 240, the embodiments disclosed hereinare also applicable to HVAC systems with more or less than four zones.

The bypass air may be filtered through a filter 50 prior to returning tothe temperature changing component 22. The bypass air may also beexposed to a biological management device 70 to kill various bacteriaand viruses prior to returning to the temperature changing component 22.The biological management device 70 may include an ultra-violate (UV)light, ultra-violate germicidal irradiation (UVGI) light, ultra-violatephotocatalytic oxidation (UVPCO) light, needle point ionization, HEPAfiltration, and/or any other similar device known to one of skill in theart. Although illustrated as being down stream of the filter 50, thebiological management device 70 may be located upstream of the filter50.

The bypass air may also be exposed to an odor and chemical pollutionmanagement device 72. The odor and chemical pollution management device72 may include at least one of a UVPCO light, carbon filters and/or anyother similar device known to one of skill in the art. Althoughillustrated as being down stream of the biological management device 70and the filter 50, the odor and chemical pollution management device 72may be located upstream of the odor and chemical pollution managementdevice 72 and/or the filter 50.

The filter 50, the biological management device 70, and the pollutionmanagement device 72, may be optional upgrades to the HVAC system 20 andare not required.

The HVAC system 20 may also include an external inlet vent fan 52 topull in fresh air from outside of a building 410 into the HVAC system 20and an external outlet vent fan 440 to remove air from the building 410.

The air may be removed from the zones 210, 220, 230, 240 and returned tothe air handler 24 through a return duct 26. The zones 210, 220, 230,240 may be referred to collectively as indoor space 412 of the building410. The HVAC system 20 may also include an external outlet vent fan 440configured to remove air the indoor space 412 of the building 410 andvent the air to an area outside of the building 410. The HVAC system 20may use the return duct 26 and/or the external outlet vent fan 440 toremove air from the indoor space 412 and may then replace the air in theindoor space 412 with fresh air or filtered air from the air handler 24through supply ducts 28, 30, 32, 33. The fresh air may be pulled intothe air handler 24 through an external inlet vent fan 52 that is fluidlyconnected to an area outside of the building 410. The filtered air maybe air that has been recovered from the indoor space 412 through thereturn duct and filtered by the filter 50 of the HVAC system 20.

Referring now to FIG. 2 , with continued reference to FIG. 1 , aschematic diagram of an exemplary environmental monitoring and controlsystem 300 is illustrated, according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure. It should be appreciated that, although particular systemsare separately defined in the schematic block diagrams, each or any ofthe systems may be otherwise combined or separated via hardware and/orsoftware.

The environmental monitoring and control system 300, as illustrated, mayinclude the cloud-based controller 340, an environmental control system310, and a computer application 550 installed or accessible on acomputing device 500.

It is understood that the computer application 550 may be a mobileapplication installed on the computer device 500. The computerapplication 550 may be accessible from computing device 500, such as,for example, a software-as-as service or a website. The computerapplication 550 may be in communication with the cloud-based controllervia the internet 306.

The environmental control system 310 is configured to controlenvironmental conditions within the building 410. The HVAC system 20 maybe controlled via the computer application 550 to set operational rangesand temperature set points.

The HVAC system 20 includes a controller 330. The controller 330 for theHVAC system 20 may be an internet of things (IoT) connected device. Thebuilding 410 may be a home, an apartment, a business, an officebuilding, a hotel, a sports facility, a garage, a room, a shed, a boat,a plane, a bus, or any other structure known to one of skill in the art.

The controller 330 is configured to communicate with the computerapplication 550 and the cloud-based controller 340. The controller 330may be an electronic controller including a processor 332 and anassociated memory 334 comprising computer-executable instructions (i.e.,computer program product) that, when executed by the processor 332,cause the processor 332 to perform various operations. The processor 332may be, but is not limited to, a single-processor or multi-processorsystem of any of a wide array of possible architectures, including fieldprogrammable gate array (FPGA), central processing unit (CPU),application specific integrated circuits (ASIC), digital signalprocessor (DSP) or graphics processing unit (GPU) hardware arrangedhomogenously or heterogeneously. The memory 334 may be but is notlimited to a random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), orother electronic, optical, magnetic or any other computer readablemedium.

The controller 330 also includes a communication device 336. Thecommunication device 336 may be capable of wireless communicationincluding but not limited to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Sub-GHz RFChannel, cellular, satellite, or any other wireless signal known to oneof skill in the art. The communication device 336 may be configured tocommunicate with the cloud-based controller 340 through the internet 306using the communication device 336. The communication device 336 may beconnected to the internet 306 through a Wi-Fi router or home automationsystem(not shown). Alternatively, or additionally, the communicationdevice 336 may be configured to communicate directly with thecloud-based controller 340.

The cloud-based controller 340 may belong to and/or be managed by anHVAC maintainer or manufacturer 408, such as, for example a manufacturerof the HVAC system 20, a third-party service provider, or any serviceprovider that may maintain the HVAC system 20. The HVAC maintainer ormanufacturer 408 may be a person, an organization, a group, apartnership, a company, or a corporation.

In an alternate embodiment, the cloud-based controller 340 may bedistributed amongst multiple cloud-based controllers rather than thesingle cloud-based controller 340 that is illustrated in FIG. 2 . Inanother embodiment, the cloud-based controller 340 may be distributedacross on a blockchain.

The cloud-based controller 340 may be a remote computer server thatincludes a processor 342 and an associated memory 344 comprisingcomputer-executable instructions (i.e., computer program product) that,when executed by the processor 342, cause the processor 342 to performvarious operations. The processor 342 may be, but is not limited to, asingle-processor or multi-processor system of any of a wide array ofpossible architectures, including field programmable gate array (FPGA),central processing unit (CPU), application specific integrated circuits(ASIC), digital signal processor (DSP) or graphics processing unit (GPU)hardware arranged homogenously or heterogeneously. The memory 344 may bebut is not limited to a random access memory (RAM), read only memory(ROM), or other electronic, optical, magnetic or any other computerreadable medium.

In alternate embodiment, the cloud-based controller 340 may be analgorithm on the computing device 500 and/or the controller 330.

The cloud-based controller 340 also includes a communication device 346.The communication device 346 may be capable of communication with theinternet. The communication device 346 may be configured to communicatewith the computing device 500 through the internet 306. Thecommunication device 346 may be a software module that handlescommunications to and from the computer application 550 and an onlineweather database 600.

The online weather database 600 may be one or more weather websites theprovide current weather data 610 and future weather data 620 for thearea where the building 410 is located. Existing vendors offer weatherprediction services in cloud environment. The cloud-based controller 340is configured to query these current weather data 610 and future weatherdata 620 from the online weather database 600 Existing sources forcurrent weather data 610 may be queried, for example, by using SQLqueries (e.g., Snowflake Data Marketplace), S3 bucket queries (e.g.,Amazon Web Services), etc.

The computing device 500 may belong to or be in possession of anindividual 404. The individual 404 may be a homeowner, a renter,maintenance person, a building manager, an HVAC maintenance person, anemployee or contractor of the HVAC maintainer or manufacturer 408, orany other individual that may be responsible for the environmentalconditions within the building 410.

The computing device 500 may be a desktop computer, a laptop computer,or a mobile computing device that is typically carried by a person, suchas, for example a phone, a smart phone, a PDA, a smart watch, a tablet,a laptop, or any other mobile computing device known to one of skill inthe art.

The computing device 500 includes a controller 510 configured to controloperations of the computing device 500. The controller 510 may be anelectronic controller including a processor 530 and an associated memory520 comprising computer-executable instructions (i.e., computer programproduct) that, when executed by the processor 530, cause the processor530 to perform various operations. The processor 530 may be, but is notlimited to, a single-processor or multi-processor system of any of awide array of possible architectures, including field programmable gatearray (FPGA), central processing unit (CPU), application specificintegrated circuits (ASIC), digital signal processor (DSP) or graphicsprocessing unit (GPU) hardware arranged homogenously or heterogeneously.The memory 520 may be but is not limited to a random access memory(RAM), read only memory (ROM), or other electronic, optical, magnetic orany other computer readable medium.

The computing device 500 includes a communication device 540 configuredto communicate with the internet 306 through one or more wirelesssignals. The one or more wireless signals may include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,Zigbee, Sub-GHz RF Channel, cellular, satellite, or any other wirelesssignal known to one of skill in the art. Alternatively, the computingdevice 500 may be connected to the internet 306 through a hardwiredconnection. The computing device 500 is configured to communicate withthe cloud-based controller 340 through the internet 306.

The computing device 500 may include a display device 580, such as forexample a computer display, an LCD display, an LED display, an OLEDdisplay, a touchscreen of a smart phone, tablet, or any other similardisplay device known to one of the skill in the art. The individual 404operating the computing device 500 is able to view the computerapplication 550 through the display device 580.

The computing device 500 includes an input device 570 configured toreceive a manual input from a user (e.g., human being) of computingdevice 500. The input device 570 may be a keyboard, a touch screen, ajoystick, a knob, a touchpad, one or more physical buttons, a microphoneconfigured to receive a voice command, a camera or sensor configured toreceive a gesture command, an inertial measurement unit configured todetect a shake of the computing device 500, or any similar input deviceknown to one of skill in the art. The user operating the computingdevice 500 is able to enter data into the computer application 550through the input device 570. The input device 570 allows the useroperating the computing device 500 to data into the computer application550 via a manual input to input device 570. For example, the user mayrespond to a prompt on the display device 580 by entering a manual inputvia the input device 570. In one example, the manual input may be atouch on the touchscreen. In an embodiment, the display device 580 andthe input device 570 may be combined into a single device, such as, forexample, a touchscreen.

The computing device 500 device may also include a feedback device 560.The feedback device 560 may activate in response to a manual input viathe input device 570. The feedback device 560 may be a haptic feedbackvibration device and/or a speaker emitting a sound. The feedback device560 may activate to confirm that the manual input entered via the inputdevice 570 was received via the computer application 550. For example,the feedback device 560 may activate by emitting an audible sound orvibrate the computing device 500 to confirm that the manual inputentered via the input device 570 was received via the computerapplication 550.

The computing device 500 may also include a location determinationdevice 590 that may be configured to determine a location of thecomputing device 500 using cellular signal triangulation, a globalposition satellite (GPS), or any location termination method known toone of skill in the art.

The HVAC system 20 is configured to control environmental conditionswithin the building 410. The HVAC system 200 may provide conditioned airto the indoor space 412 of the building 410. The conditioned air may beheated or cooled air by the HVAC system 200. The HVAC system 200 mayalso filter the air provided to the indoor space 412 of the building 410using a filter 50. As aforementioned, the HVAC system 200 may beconfigured to provide conditioned air to different zones 210, 220, 230,240 of the building 410. The amount of conditioned air provided to eachzone 210, 220, 230, 240 may be adjusted using one or more dampers 34. Itis understood, while the zones 210, 220, 230, 240 are illustrated in thesame room on the same floor of the building 410, the embodimentsdisclosed herein are also applicable to zones being located in differentrooms and/or on different floors.

The environmental monitoring and control system 300 may include sensors430 located in each zone 210, 220, 230, 240. The sensors 430 areconfigured to monitor environmental parameters throughout the building410 and the HVAC system 20.

The individual 404 enters in a temperature range 388 and/or a humidityrange 372 in the computer application 550 via a manual input on thecomputing device 500. Each of the temperature range 388 and the humidityrange 372 may include a minimum value and the maximum value. Thetemperature range 388 and/or a humidity range 372 are then shared withthe cloud-based controller 340. Then cloud-based controller 340 isconfigured to determine an operation schedule for the HVAC system 20based on the future weather data 620 and at least one of the temperaturerange 388 or the humidity range 372. The operation schedule 386 is thenshared with the controller 330 to control operation of the HVAC systemin accordance with the operation schedule 386. Advantageously, theoperation of the HVAC system 20 may be optimized in advance to plan forupcoming weather.

Air conditioner, heat pump, and vents directly interact with outdoorweather and could thus leverage outdoor weather for efficient heatingand cooling. A heat pump pumps heat from indoor to outdoor, or in thereverse direction, for cooling and heating, respectively. The energyconsumed (load) for the operation directly depends on the differencebetween indoor and outdoor temperature. The higher the difference, theharder the heat pump has to work (more energy consumption) to pump theheat. It would be most opportune to pump heat when the load is least ascompared to when the load is high. It would be better if the systemcould glide without having to pump the heat when the load is high. Thetemperature range set by the user allows the system to glide. Forexample, if the temperature range is 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit, meaningany temperature in this range is acceptable to the user, and at anopportune time when the cooling load is low but about to rise, thesystem cools the indoor to 70 degrees Fahrenheit and as the outdoortemperature rises to a peak increasing the cooling load, the system doesnot use the heat pump but lets the indoor temperature rise in responsefrom 70 degrees Fahrenheit to a maximum of 75 degrees Fahrenheit,thereby avoiding cooling during high load and thus save energy. The heatpump would need to work when temperature starts to creep above theacceptable high temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit. The opportunetimes for heating and cooling could be effectively managed if known inadvance what the future weather and temperature range set schedule isgoing to be. Knowing this in advance, allows the system to estimatefuture loads and times when the loads will be high to avoid heat pumpoperation during the high load times as much as possible.

In the case of vents, if the indoor temperature is higher than thedesired temperature, cooling would be necessary, but if the outdoortemperature is less than the desired temperature, one could open thevents and blow out the hot indoor air and refill it with external coolair to get the cooling without spending higher energy needed to operatean AC or heat pump.

The operation schedule 386 may include operation commands to adjustoperation of selected components at select times based on the futureweather data 620 while maintaining a detected humidity within thehumidity range 373 and a detected temperature within the temperaturerange 388. For example, the operation commands may adjust operation ofone or more of the external inlet vent fan 52, the external outlet ventfan 440, the blower 25, turning on and off the HVAC system 20,controlling a flow of refrigerant in the HVAC system 20, and/or anyother component of the HVAC system 20.

Referring now to FIG. 3 , with continued reference to FIGS. 1-2 , a flowdiagram illustrating an exemplary computer implemented method 800 formonitoring and controlling an environment of an indoor space 412 withina building 410 is illustrated in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure. In an embodiment, the computer implemented method800 is performed by one or more controllers in the environmentalmonitoring and control system 300.

At block 802, a future weather data 620 is obtained for an area wherethe building 410 is located. The building 410 includes a heating,ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system 20 configured to controlthe environment within the indoor space 412. The future weather data 620for the area where the building 410 is located may be obtained byquerying an online weather database 600 to obtain the future weatherdata 620.

At block 804, at least one of a temperature range 388 or a humidityrange 373 is received for the indoor space 412. The temperature range388 or a humidity range 373 may vary over a time period (e.g., aschedule) or remain constant until changed. The at least one of thetemperature range 388 or the humidity range 373 for the indoor space 412may be received by receiving a manual input on a computing device 500from an individual 402 using a computer application 550 to enter the atleast one of the temperature range 388 or the humidity range 373 for theindoor space 412.

At block 806, an operation schedule 386 for the HVAC system 20 isdetermined based on at least the future weather data 620 and the atleast one of the temperature range 388 or the humidity range 373.

At block 808, operation of the HVAC system 20 is controlled inaccordance with the operation schedule 386. An input to block 808 is thecurrent temperature and/or humidity in the indoor space 412. The HVACsystem 20 may be controlled in accordance with the operation schedule386 by adjusting a blower 25 of the HVAC system 20 in accordance withthe operation schedule 386. The HVAC system 20 may be controlled inaccordance with the operation schedule 386 by adjusting an externaloutlet vent fan 440 of the HVAC system 20 in accordance with theoperation schedule 386. The HVAC system 20 may be controlled inaccordance with the operation schedule 386 by adjusting an externalinlet vent fan 52 of the HVAC system 20 in accordance with the operationschedule 386.

From 808, the process reverts to 802. The thermostat will continuouslydetermine how to control/operate different components of the HVACsystem, rather than using a fixed schedule. Every time the weatherforecast changes or the temperature range changes or a new reading foractual indoor temperature is available, the future schedule getsrecomputed.

In other embodiments, the HVAC system 20 is configured to control indoorair quality in the indoor space 412. An air quality value may be inputby the user, and may be a single threshold indicating that user wantsthe indoor air quality above a certain acceptable threshold. The HVACsystem 20 would receive a current indoor air quality and control theHVAC system 20 per the operations in FIG. 3 . The future weather datawould include an air quality forecast. For example, it may be thermallyadvantageous to vent outdoor air into the indoor space 412 at aparticular time, but the air quality forecast may prevent the HVACsystem 20 from venting at that time due to poor (out of range) airquality predicted at that time.

While the above description has described the flow process of FIG. 3 ina particular order, it should be appreciated that unless otherwisespecifically required in the attached claims that the ordering of thesteps may be varied.

As described above, embodiments can be in the form ofprocessor-implemented processes and devices for practicing thoseprocesses, such as processor. Embodiments can also be in the form ofcomputer program code (e.g., computer program product) containinginstructions embodied in tangible media (e.g., non-transitory computerreadable medium), such as floppy diskettes, CD ROMs, hard drives, or anyother non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein, when thecomputer program code is loaded into and executed by a computer, thecomputer becomes a device for practicing the embodiments. Embodimentscan also be in the form of computer program code, for example, whetherstored in a storage medium, loaded into and/or executed by a computer,or transmitted over some transmission medium, such as over electricalwiring or cabling, through fiber optics, or via electromagneticradiation, wherein, when the computer program code is loaded into andexecuted by a computer, the computer becomes a device for practicing theexemplary embodiments. When implemented on a general-purposemicroprocessor, the computer program code segments configure themicroprocessor to create specific logic circuits.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the presentdisclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” areintended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearlyindicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms“comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification,specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations,elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence oraddition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations,element components, and/or groups thereof.

While the present disclosure has been described with reference to anexemplary embodiment or embodiments, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents maybe substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope ofthe present disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made toadapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the presentdisclosure without departing from the essential scope thereof.Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited tothe particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode contemplated forcarrying out this present disclosure, but that the present disclosurewill include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for monitoring and controlling anenvironment of an indoor space within a building, the method comprising:obtaining a future weather data for an area where the building islocated, the building including a heating, ventilation, and airconditioning (HVAC) system configured to control the environment withinthe indoor space; receiving at least one of a current temperature and acurrent humidity within the indoor space; receiving at least one of atemperature range and a humidity range for the indoor space; determiningan operation schedule for the HVAC system based on at least the futureweather data and the at least one of the temperature range and thehumidity range; and controlling operation of the HVAC system inaccordance with the operation schedule.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the obtaining the future weather data for the area where thebuilding is located further comprises: querying an online weatherdatabase to obtain the future weather data.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein the receiving the at least one of the temperature range and thehumidity range for the indoor space further comprises: receiving amanual input on a computing device from an individual using a computerapplication to enter the at least one of the temperature range and thehumidity range for the indoor space.
 4. The method of claim 1, whereinthe controlling operation of the HVAC system in accordance with theoperation schedule further comprises: adjusting a blower of the HVACsystem in accordance with the operation schedule.
 5. The method of claim1, wherein the controlling operation of the HVAC system in accordancewith the operation schedule further comprises: adjusting an externaloutlet vent fan or an external inlet vent fan of the HVAC system inaccordance with the operation schedule.
 6. The method of claim 1,wherein the controlling operation of the HVAC system in accordance withthe operation schedule further comprises at least one of: turning on andoff the HVAC system and controlling a flow of refrigerant in the HVACsystem in accordance with the operation schedule.
 7. The method of claim1, further comprising: receiving current indoor air quality within theindoor space; receiving a desired indoor air quality for the indoorspace; determining the operation schedule for the HVAC system based onat least the future weather data and the desired indoor air quality; andcontrolling operation of the HVAC system in accordance with theoperation schedule.
 8. An environmental monitoring and control systemfor monitoring and controlling an environment of an internal space, theenvironmental monitoring and control system comprising: a processor; anda memory comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executedby the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, theoperations comprising: obtaining a future weather data for an area wherea building is located, the building including a heating, ventilation,and air conditioning (HVAC) system configured to control the environmentwithin an indoor space within the building; receiving at least one of acurrent temperature and a current humidity within the indoor space;receiving at least one of a temperature range and a humidity range forthe indoor space; determining an operation schedule for the HVAC systembased on at least the future weather data and the at least one of thetemperature range and the humidity range; and controlling operation ofthe HVAC system in accordance with the operation schedule.
 9. Theenvironmental monitoring and control system of claim 8, wherein theobtaining the future weather data for the area where the building islocated further comprises: querying an online weather database to obtainthe future weather data.
 10. The environmental monitoring and controlsystem of claim 8, wherein the receiving the at least one of thetemperature range and the humidity range for the indoor space furthercomprises: receiving a manual input on a computing device from anindividual using a computer application to enter the at least one of thetemperature range and the humidity range for the indoor space.
 11. Theenvironmental monitoring and control system of claim 8, wherein thecontrolling operation of the HVAC system in accordance with theoperation schedule further comprises: adjusting a blower of the HVACsystem in accordance with the operation schedule.
 12. The environmentalmonitoring and control system of claim 8, wherein the controllingoperation of the HVAC system in accordance with the operation schedulefurther comprises: adjusting an external outlet vent fan or an externalinlet vent fan of the HVAC system in accordance with the operationschedule.
 13. The environmental monitoring and control system of claim8, wherein the controlling operation of the HVAC system in accordancewith the operation schedule further comprises at least one of: turningon and off the HVAC system and controlling a flow of refrigerant in theHVAC system in accordance with the operation schedule.
 14. A computerprogram product tangibly embodied on a non-transitory computer readablemedium, the computer program product including instructions that, whenexecuted by a processor, cause the processor to perform operationscomprising: obtaining a future weather data for an area where a buildingis located, the building including a heating, ventilation, and airconditioning (HVAC) system configured to control an environment withinan indoor space within the building; receiving at least one of a currenttemperature and a current humidity within the indoor space; receiving atleast one of a temperature range and a humidity range for the indoorspace; determining an operation schedule for the HVAC system based on atleast the future weather data and the at least one of the temperaturerange or the humidity range; and controlling operation of the HVACsystem in accordance with the operation schedule.
 15. The computerprogram product of claim 14, wherein the obtaining the future weatherdata for the area where the building is located further comprises:querying an online weather database to obtain the future weather data.16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the receiving theat least one of the temperature range and the humidity range for theindoor space further comprises: receiving a manual input on a computingdevice from an individual using a computer application to enter the atleast one of the temperature range or the humidity range for the indoorspace.
 17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein thecontrolling operation of the HVAC system in accordance with theoperation schedule further comprises: adjusting a blower of the HVACsystem in accordance with the operation schedule.
 18. The computerprogram product of claim 14, wherein the controlling operation of theHVAC system in accordance with the operation schedule further comprises:adjusting an external outlet vent fan or an external inlet vent fan ofthe HVAC system in accordance with the operation schedule.
 19. Thecomputer program product of claim 14, wherein the controlling operationof the HVAC system in accordance with the operation schedule furthercomprises at least one of: turning on and off the HVAC system andcontrolling a flow of refrigerant in the HVAC system in accordance withthe operation schedule.